Volkswagen India celebrates five years of production at Pune facility

Volkswagen India added a feather in their cap as the brand celebrated the fifth anniversary of the manufacturing facility in Pune on March 31, 2014. Spread over an area of 575 acres, the construction of the plant was initiated in 2007 with a combined investment of Rs 3,800 crore. The seventeen month long construction resulted in inauguration of the plant on March 31, 2009. In attendance were then Governor of Maharashtra, S.C. Jamir and Jochem Heizmann, member of the management board of Volkswagen AG who was responsible for Volkswagen Group’s Production worldwide. The factory rolled-out 3,67,000 cars in five years and currently employs 3,400 people.

The plant started full-fledged production in May 2009 with the Skoda Fabia followed by the Volkswagen Polo in December 2009. The production of VW’s mid-size sedan in the country, the Vento was initiated in August 2010 and was followed by the Skoda Rapid in October 2011. As plant capacity increased over the course of time, export of the Vento to South Africa had begun by 2011. The exports had expanded following year to 32 countries in three continents, the car being made left-hand drive for Mexico and the Middle-East.